Friday, January 13, 2006

Go Maryland!

politicians in Maryland passed controversial "fair-share" legislation. The bill, aimed almost exclusively at Wal-Mart, calls on companies with more than 10,000 employees in the state to spend at least 8 per cent of their payroll on health insurance or make up any shortfall with a contribution towards health schemes that are publicy run.

It's about damn time. Companies have been relying on the government to provide healthcare for their employees so they don't have to when they should pay. Wal-Mart and those of their ilk are abusing the system worse than ODB ever could. Wal-Mart and anti-labor interests are stating that this is the work of unions. No, it's the work of a government that is tired of footing the bill for those that can. This study says so...as does the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In this articleit shows that it's not just in California, Georgia or Maryland:

The state of Connecticut discovered in January 2005 that it pays an estimated $43 million annually to cover health costs for workers at the state's 25 largest employers; Wal-Mart was at the top of the list with 824 employees or employees' adult dependents on state public assistance programs. Beyond Connecticut, Wal-Mart had the most employees on Medicaid in a total of 11 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin, according to examinations in those states [Employee Benefit News, 5/01/05].

I am all for government aid to support the poor and working poor...but I will be damned if my tax money goes into the pockets of Wal-Mart's shareholders while their employees scrape by. Wal-Mart...America's biggest welfare cheat!